Individual Consultant (3 months), Job ID: 21226

Office: UNHCR Regional Bureau for the Americas - Regional Platform/VenSit

Purpose of project: Completion of the regional toolbox on evictions to addresses protection risks and impacts on refugees and migrants from Venezuela.

Location: Home-based

Duration of the assignment: 3 months

Condition: Full-time (40 hours per week)

General Background of Project or Assignment:

In March 2020, refugees and migrants from Venezuela across the region started to be affected by evictions despite governmental efforts through the development of normative frameworks to prevent and protect population from forced evictions in the context of the COVID19 pandemia. Reports of evictions across the region (Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Caribbean) have had direct impact on refugees and migrants of Venezuelan, causing a situation of spontaneous returns of, at least 50.000 people, despite lack of adequate living conditions in Venezuela.

Evictions registered at the regional level have also caused street-like situations, greater exposure to protection risks (human trafficking and smuggling networks, sexual violence and exploitation) and overwhelmed capacities from national institutions with low operational/technical capacity affected by measures imposed to prevent the dissemination of the pandemia.

The regional protection sector has developed a strategy for the mitigation of evictions that includes specific activities of capacity building, advocacy and information gathering with the aim of improving technical capacity of national protection sectors as well as improved protection response for people at risk of eviction and those who have already being evicted. During the regional webinar on evictions lead by the Sector, national institutions of human rights (Ombudsman Office in Colombia, Public Ombudsman Office in Ecuador) as well as civil society organizations (Brasil), stressed the need to guarantee comprehensive approaches to tackle root causes (public policies, state¿s programs and project), along with community based strategies and capacity building.

Taking in to account this recommendations and as part of the Sector¿s strategy and the existing technical gap from national sectors on the issue, the regional sector identified the need to provide concrete tools to provide technical support to national sectors on: i) identification/registration of evictions, ii) key messages to people of concern to guarantee adequate fulfilment of their rights, iii) dissemination of key findings of the regional survey on evictions in order to guide adjustment/design of public policies and national programs/projects. Additional tools from the Shelter Sector will also be included to guarantee guidance and support throughout the different phases of the process, including prevention, assistance and protection (durable solutions).

Products developed in this consultancy will also guide the 2021 planning of the RMPR, in the identification of gaps and protection needs, lack of counterparts with technical expertise that should be included in national/regional protection sector, as well as adequate allocation or resources to provide effective response to refugees and migrants at risk and those who have already been evicted and require long term solutions.

Overall purpose and Scope of Assignment:

The overall purpose of the project/consultancy is to support the development of the tools that will be included in the regional toolbox on evictions from the Regional Protection Sector. Mitigation of risks of evictions as well as specific guidance to people of concern and data gathering are urgently needed to increase institutional response, guide national protection sector and guarantee pertinent and adequate guidance to people of concern. Within the strategy of the regional protection sector for the response to evictions, this consultancy has the following additional objectives: i) systematize good practices at the community level to mitigate risks of eviction in the region; ii) identify concrete actions to promote inclusion on national protection systems under the right to adequate housing; iii) provide legal guidance to people of concern through the identification of the typology of the cases in the countries of the region; iv) reinforce a regional comprehension of the phenomenon towards a coherent protection strategy.

These objectives will be obtained through the development of concrete tools included in the regional toolkit box aiming to provide technical support and guidance to protection sector members, key stakeholders, people of concern and competent authorities.

The research, drafting and development of products are expected to take place between August and November 2020 to ensure that the final version of these documents will be available for its formal presentation by the end of the year.

(i) Degree required: The consultant must have a bachelor's degree in Law and postgraduate studies (master's) in social sciences/ international affairs/law.
(ii) Years of experience: A minimum of 5 years work experience with national and / or international organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) related to the subject. The persons must have research and training experience in the field of land and housing, human rights and international law.
(iii) Field of expertise: land and housing, human rights and international law.
(iv) Language: Spanish (proficient).
(v) Key Competences: Work with a high degree of autonomy. Work under pressure and with tied deadlines. Demonstrate initiative, flexibility and commitment in the tasks and work guidelines assigned by supervisors. Coordinate with the designated focal points for the request and verification of information.

Delivery Periodicity, as applicable: The consultant will support the work of the Regional Protection Sector. In particular, he/she will support the elaboration of the following products: (i) regional legal guidance for the prevention and protection against evictions; (ii) inventory of community based good practices to mitigate risks of evictions in adverse contexts (armed conflict, high-risk areas, collective territories); iii) Key findings document of the regional survey on evictions and development of public policies recommendations to guarantee the right to adequate housing to refugees and migrants from Venezuela.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training.)

How to apply;

Interested applicants are kindly asked to visit the page www.unhcr.org/careers.html to submit an application.

We only accept applications submitted through the MSRP portal for this job opening no. 21226.